rue du Marais

[GretzkyU2Yanks]

did a search using google and didnt find this discussed, which I was suprised about.

looks like Im going to Paris in a few weeks and was wondering if this place has any signifigance. Bono could have chose to be a 'traffic cop' (I understand its not meant to be literal) anywhere in Paris so why here??

just because it sounds good or is there a signifcance to it?? kind of like the 3:33 time in UC has a huge significance.

Ive read on other boards things that could be something, but I dont know the source so was looking for more.

[zooropop40]

hmm I always wondered this since I heard the song.

btw, what exactly does 3:33 represent? I guess I missed it

[GretzkyU2Yanks]

from the cover of ATYCLB (J33:3 on the board), to UC

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not

it couldnt fit in better with the meaning of Unknown Caller

and no need for the 'hide' icon, I didnt know it before the ATYCLB cover and read it somewhere then

[yolland]

There's not actually a street in Paris called that; he probably meant une rue dans le Marais, 'a street in the Marais,' in which case I suppose the reference would just be to the Marais as a hip, vibrant and historically significant Parisian quartier. It could also be that he's referring to a street literally called 'rue du Marais' elsewhere, but I'd have no ideas where or why in that case.

[GretzkyU2Yanks]

I figured there wasnt an actual street in Paris after searching maps, but it still begs the question, why the area Marais??

whats the historical significance?? is it a particularly busy/hectic area where it would be the most difficult to be a traffic cop??

and Ive read there are streets named rue du marais in other cities, but based on Linear, I would expect Bono was referring to Paris.

it could be as simple as Bono just likes the area/likes the way it sounds.

its wouldnt be the 1st time he's stretched the truth with geography (what else is new) to make it sound good. in New York he says "and its down to alphaville" but there is no alphaville. there is an area called alphabet city, but Ive never heard it called alphaville before.

[yolland]

I wouldn't call the Marais hectic; if anything, it retains more of a 'real neighborhood' feel than most other prime tourist areas of Paris, and is a pleasure to walk around. Nor is it known for immigration-related tensions (since you mentioned Linear). My guess is that the 'traffic cop who wants to get away' metaphor is really the important thing, and the reference to the Marais is basically arbitrary, perhaps even chosen primarily for the rhyme.

[last unicorn]

It's connected to the Linear movie.

[mama cass]

Originally Posted by last unicorn

It's connected to the Linear movie.

is Linear filmed in Le Marais?

[Marien]

I think he is referring to the Parisian quarter, it is a very colourful place with some Jew restaurants and shops, some churches and designer and antique shops, but with real people living there and giving the place personality. Last time I was in Paris, about 2 years ago, I saw Bono walking to his hotel, which was not far away from this neighbourhood, maybe that influenced me too. (by the way, I didn't follow him, but some paparazi did, I found out where he was going in the magazines).

[Bonoa]

I searched on Google Maps and found it. There are always names of companies on the left side. One of the companies is called Plombier Artisan Paris. The address is 21 Rue du Marais, Paris.
The majority of 'Rue du Marais' addresses are located in Montreuil, a city attached to Paris.

[yolland]

^ Montreuil could make sense in terms of Linear, since it's a poor suburb with a large North African population. Still seems like the street name itself would have to be a pretty arbitrary choice in that case, though.

[financeguy]

The other question is why does he use the US expression 'cop' when describing a French gendarme??

[GretzkyU2Yanks]

we have to remember Linear is based on the lyrics and not the other way around. so of course its connected to Linear, but that doesnt mean anything to determine why he picked this location since the lyrics came before the movie (unless this was a change from late 2008/early2009).

if it is talking about Montreuil (and there is a big North African population) that brings in more validity/ties this song into the fact that many of the songs are connected via 1 main character, with or without a movie that was made after the fact that shows us the one character theme.

Im leaning towards the opinion he picked the marais because its a Paris neighborhood he likes and the sound of the lyric fit and there's not much more to it.

[Montrose]

Funny thing - when I first heard this song, I thought Bono was saying 'redémarrer', or at least making a phonetic stab at this French word meaning 'restart' or 'reboot'. If that were the case, it fits well with Unknown Caller.

[edgeplaytheblue]

my first hearing (without reading lyrics) : i'm a traffic cop route demarrer ... lol